Marco Rubio’s State Department announced Sept. 28 that it had cancelled or forbidden U.S. visas for 27 “corrupt foreign officials” from four member nations of the newly formed Shield of the Americas: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. State asserted that these actions were taken to put into action the Shield of the Americas Joint Statement on Defending Hemispheric Security issued on Sept. 22, and pressed other members to do likewise. It claimed that the Joint Statement committed members to coordinate actions “against terrorists and criminals who undermine security, rule of law, and democracy.” Restricting visas—which does not require court evidence—"is a durable mechanism that allows the United States to act quickly, in coordination with our partners, as evidence develops,” State wrote.

Only 16 of the 27 persons sanctioned were named, with no explanation of why they are deemed to be threats except that their “entry [into the U.S.] or proposed [!] activities have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Two of those sanctioned, in particular, make brutally clear what the intent is.

The only Peruvian included on State’s “enemies list” is Juan Carlos Núñez Matos, Lima First Circuit Constitutional Court Judge. The Argentine daily Infobae, a well-known outlet for the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, told the whole story in the headline of its article on his case: “U.S. Revoked Visa of Peruvian Judge Juan Carlos Núñez Matos: the Judge Ruled in Favor of the Chinese Regime in the Chancay Port Case.” What a crime!